U.S. patent number 8,511,487 [Application Number 12/514,500] was granted by the patent office on 2013-08-20 for shelf assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Enjoy Group AB. The grantee listed for this patent is John Andersen, Hakan Sjolander. Invention is credited to John Andersen, Hakan Sjolander.
United States Patent |
8,511,487 |
Andersen , et al. |
August 20, 2013 |
Shelf assembly
Abstract
A shelf assembly for products to be placed in a limited space,
which at least is limited in depth by a rear boundary surface and
laterally by lateral surfaces. The shelf assembly consists of a
shelving section with a front and a rear, which shelving section
comprises a plurality of gravity-feeding shelves and a base plate.
The shelving section is placed on a shelving section support and
arranged on the same to be rotatable about an axis, which is
arranged by a first engaging means, which is placed on the base
plate and rotatably engaged with a second engaging means, which is
placed on the shelving section support. The rear of the shelving
section is in the refill position located further away from the
rear boundary surface than is the front of the shelving section in
the display position. Moreover, the shelving section is rotatable
substantially within the limited space.
Inventors: |
Andersen; John (Fredrikstad,
NO), Sjolander; Hakan (Bracke, SE) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Andersen; John
Sjolander; Hakan |
Fredrikstad
Bracke |
N/A
N/A |
NO
SE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Enjoy Group AB (Bracke,
SE)
|
Family
ID: |
39401938 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/514,500 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2007 |
PCT
Filed: |
November 13, 2007 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/SE2007/001002 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
January 05, 2010 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2008/060222 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
May 22, 2008 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20100176074 A1 |
Jul 15, 2010 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
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Nov 13, 2006 [SE] |
|
|
0602400 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/144; 312/305;
211/163 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F
1/12 (20130101); A47B 49/004 (20130101); A47F
5/0087 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
5/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;211/144,59.2,163
;312/125,135,207.2,298,305,317.2 ;248/345.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
0 577 551 |
|
Jan 1994 |
|
EP |
|
1 683 449 |
|
Jul 2006 |
|
EP |
|
1 749 461 |
|
Feb 2007 |
|
EP |
|
Primary Examiner: Chan; Korie H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Birch, Stewart, Kolasch &
Birch, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A sales products shelf assembly to be placed in a space, which
at least is limited in depth by a rear boundary surface and
laterally by lateral surfaces, the shelf assembly comprising: a
shelving section with a front and a rear, which shelving section
comprises a plurality of spaced-apart gravity-feeding shelves,
which are arranged above each other, the shelving section being
rotatable about an axis of rotation between at least one display
position, in which the shelves are accessible from the front of the
shelving section, and a refill position, in which the shelves are
accessible from the rear of the shelving section; and a shelving
section support placed on a base; wherein the shelving section
comprises a base plate, and the shelving section is placed on the
shelving section support; wherein the axis of rotation extends
through a first engaging member which is arranged on the underside
of the base plate and which is rotatably engaged with a second
engaging member which is arranged on the upper side of the shelving
section support; wherein the shelving section further comprises
side walls attached to the base plate and extending upwards
therefrom, said side walls carrying the shelves, and wherein the
axis of rotation is fixed relative to the shelves and relative to
said rear boundary surface, and said rear of the shelving section
in the refill position is located further away from said rear
boundary surface than is said front of the shelving section in the
display position, and said shelving section being rotatable
substantially within said limited space.
2. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of
rotation in the lateral direction is arranged substantially
centrally while the axis of rotation in depth is arranged closer to
the front of the shelving section than the rear of the shelving
section, the axis of rotation substantially coinciding with the
centre of a geometric circle, whose diameter corresponds to the
width of the space and is tangent to the lateral surfaces and the
rear boundary surface of the space, while the shelving section is
rotatable in situ.
3. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or more
rolling elements are arranged on at least one of the underside of
the base plate and the upper side of the shelving section
support.
4. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rolling
elements are arranged substantially in a circle.
5. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves are
inclined.
6. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves are
provided with sliding surfaces.
7. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves are
provided with channels for stabilising advanced products.
8. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the side
walls is a metal sheet, which metal sheet is provided with
rotation- and deflection-resistant bends.
9. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves are
designed based on a substantially rectangular shape, the rear outer
corners of the shelves being trimmed for optimal adjustment of the
shelving section in the limited space and for support of said
rotatability.
10. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front edges
of the shelves are straight.
11. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the space has a
width greater than its depth.
12. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet, which provides a space at
least being limited in depth by a rear boundary surface and
laterally by lateral surfaces, and a sales products shelf assembly;
the shelf assembly comprising: a shelving section with a front and
a rear, which shelving section comprises a plurality of
spaced-apart gravity-feeding shelves, which are arranged above each
other, the shelving section being rotatable about an axis of
rotation between at least one display position, in which the
shelves are accessible from the front of the shelving section, and
a refill position, in which the shelves are accessible from the
rear of the shelving section; and a shelving section support placed
on the base; wherein the shelving section comprises a base plate,
and the shelving section is placed on the shelving section support,
wherein the axis of rotation extends through a first engaging means
which is arranged on the underside of the base plate and which is
rotatably engaged with a second engaging means which is arranged on
the upper side of the shelving section support, wherein the axis of
rotation is fixed relative to the shelves and relative to said
cabinet; and said rear of the shelving section in the refill
position is located further away from said rear boundary surface
than is said front of the shelving section in the display position,
and said shelving section being rotatable substantially within said
limited space.
13. A shelf assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side walls
include a plurality of recesses arranged along a length of the side
walls and each of the plurality of spaced-apart gravity-feeding
shelves is provided with at least one locking element configured to
engage with the recesses of the side walls so that the plurality of
spaced-apart gravity-feeding shelves can be adjusted in a direction
along the length of the side walls.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a shelf assembly for
products and, more specifically, to a shelf assembly with
gravity-feeding shelves to be placed in a limited space, which
shelf assembly is rotatable between at least one display position,
in which the shelves are accessible from the front of the shelving
section, and a refill position, in which the shelves are accessible
from the rear of the shelving section.
BACKGROUND ART
In supermarkets and department stores there are many different
types of shelf assemblies, which are filled with products offered
for sale. Many of these products must for various reasons, such as
open-dating or refrigerating reasons, be supplied in such a manner
that the last supplied products are positioned in the rear part of
the shelf. At the same time this satisfies the requirement that the
product first supplied is also first sold. A large amount of the
time of the shop staff is used to supply additional products. This
means that there is a great interest in getting rid of conventional
types of shelf assembly where the remaining products from previous
supplies first must be removed from the shelf assemblies before
supplying new products. One way of solving this problem is to
design shelf assemblies which are adapted to be refilled from
behind. This can be achieved by wheels being mounted on the shelf
assemblies so that the shelf assembly is completely pulled out, or
alternatively pivoted out, from its position to make the rear
accessible for refilling. Since the shelf assemblies are in many
cases quite heavy and difficult to steer, it may be necessary to
take care of this by using supports and/or guide tracks which guide
the movement, like in shelf assemblies in refrigerators according
to European patent application 1683449 A1.
A certain drawback of this type of solution is that some shops are
limited in respect of space in aisles. It causes inconvenience to
customers and staff that the aisles are blocked by shelf assemblies
when supplying additional products. The staff will then be inclined
not to pull out the shelf assembly, and therefore the construction
will not be used as intended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved
solution for a shelf assembly which can be refilled from behind
without suffering from drawbacks indicated in connection with prior
art.
The above object is achieved by a shelf assembly according to the
invention.
More specifically, according to one aspect to the present invention
a shelf assembly is provided for products, which is adapted to be
placed in a space, which at least is limited in depth by a rear
boundary surface and laterally by lateral surfaces. The shelf
assembly has a shelving section with a front an a rear, which
shelving section comprises a plurality of spaced-apart
gravity-feeding shelves, which are arranged above each other. The
shelving section is rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation
between at least one display position, in which the shelves are
accessible from the front of the shelving section, and a refill
position, in which the shelves are accessible from the rear of the
shelving section. The shelf assembly further comprises a shelving
section support placed on the base, and the shelving section
comprises a base plate. Moreover the shelving section is placed on
the shelving section support. The axis of rotation extends through
a first engaging means which is arranged on the underside of the
base plate and which is rotatably engaged with a second engaging
means which is arranged on the upper side of the shelving section
support. The rear of the shelving section is in the refill position
located further away from said rear boundary surface than is said
front of the shelving section in the display position. Further the
shelving section is rotatable substantially within the limited
space.
As a result, a shelf assembly is provided, which can be rotated
between a display position and a refill position in situ in a
limited space about an axis of rotation and whose shelving
section's rear in the refill position is located further away from
the rear boundary surface of the limited space than is the front of
the shelving section in the display position. This facilitates
refilling of the shelf assembly from behind. The rear of the shelf
assembly is not only facing the person who is to supply additional
products but also has a small projecting portion so that, for
refilling, the person does not have to reach into the limited
space. In addition, the floor surface in front of the limited space
is not occupied by the shelving section in refilling.
In one embodiment of the shelf assembly, the first engaging means,
and thus the position of the shelving section, is movable in depth
between a first position and a second position relative to the
shelving section support, the first position corresponding to the
display position and the second position corresponding to the
refill position. This difference between the first and the second
position corresponds at least to the distance in depth between the
pivot radius of the shelving section and the rear of the shelving
section in the display position.
This results in a shelf assembly, which makes it possible for a
rotation of the shelving section from the display position to the
refill position to occur in a limited space by the axis of rotation
being moved so that the pivot space available in the space
corresponds to the pivot radius of the shelving section. This
produces the advantage that a shelving section which in fact is too
large to be rotated in the space can obtain sufficient space to
move in order to rotate from the display position to the refill
position. A corresponding movement back to the original position of
the axis of rotation during rotation back to the display position
from the refill position resets the position of the shelving
section in the space. In the refill position, the rear of the
shelving section is made accessible for refilling. The shelving
section then protrudes from the front edge of the space. This is
advantageous when the shelves are to be supplied with products.
In one embodiment of the shelf assembly, the axis of rotation in
the lateral direction is arranged substantially centrally while the
axis of rotation in depth is arranged closer to the front of the
shelving section than the rear of the shelving section, the axis of
rotation substantially coinciding with the centre of a geometric
circle, whose diameter corresponds to the width of the space and is
tangent to the lateral surfaces and the rear boundary surface of
the space.
This results in a shelf assembly which by asymmetric location of a
stationary axis of rotation can rotate in a limited space where the
pivot radius of the shelf assembly in one embodiment according to
prior art would prevent rotation from the display position to the
refill position in the space. A further advantage of the asymmetric
location of the stationary axis of rotation is that in the refill
position the shelving section protrudes from the limited space and
facilitates refilling of the shelf assembly.
In one embodiment of the shelf assembly, the second engaging means
is a groove, in which the first engaging means can move. This is a
solution which both stabilises the rotation and limits the degree
of freedom of the movement.
In one embodiment, a gear wheel is arranged on the first engaging
means, which gear wheel meshes with a gear rack arranged on the
shelving section support, the gear rack positions of the gear wheel
corresponding to different movements of the axis of rotation in
depth. This means that the movement of the axis of rotation,
forward and backward in depth, is controlled while the shelving
section is being rotated between the display position and the
refill position.
To facilitate the rotation of the shelving section, roller means
are arranged on the underside of the base plate in one embodiment
of the invention. In an alternative embodiment of the invention,
roller means are also/instead placed on the upper side of the
shelving section support. These roller means may be, for instance,
wheels, but should not be restricted thereto.
In another embodiment, the roller means are arranged substantially
in a circle, but also other ways of placing the wheels are
conceivable and not excluded by this example.
The design of the shelves of the shelf assembly can be performed in
various ways. In one embodiment, gravity feeding is achieved by
letting the shelves be inclined. Gravity feeding means that the
products on the shelf slide forward to the front edge of the shelf,
for instance during refilling or when a vacancy has occurred
because a product has been removed from the front edge by a
customer. The inclined shelves also produce the advantage that the
centre of gravity of the shelving section in the refill position
will not be positioned outside the shelving section support. The
total weight of the remaining products and the last supplied
products will thus be positioned closer to the front edge of the
shelf assembly, which front edge in the refill position is facing
the rear wall of the space.
For further improvement of the gravity feeding, the shelves are in
one embodiment provided with sliding surfaces, which may be sliding
tracks or roller tracks. This is also advantageous since it will be
possible to easily renovate the shelf assembly by only replacing
worn out sliding tracks or roller tracks with new ones instead of
making the more complicated and expensive exchange of entire
shelves.
In one embodiment of the shelf assembly, the shelves are provided
with channels for stabilisation and advantageous exposure of
advanced products.
In one embodiment of the shelf assembly, the shelving section is
provided with side walls which each is a metal sheet, which metal
sheet is provided with rotation- and deflection-resistant bends.
This significantly improves the stability of the shelf assembly
compared to a solution in which entire side plates without bends
are used.
In one embodiment, the shelves are designed based on a
substantially rectangular shape, the rear corners of the shelves
being trimmed for optimal adjustment of the shelving section in the
limited space. Trimming of the rear corners is made to assist the
rotation of the shelving section while achieving a maximum total
shelving surface, that is load area, relative to the available area
in the space. Due to the solution according to the invention
involving the asymmetric location of the axis of rotation, the
front corners, however, need in principle not be trimmed, which
will be explained in more detail in connection with the description
of the embodiments. The shelf assembly thus uses as large a portion
of the load area as possible for the shelf assembly inside the
limited space while at the same time the shelf assembly with the
asymmetric location of the axis of rotation is rotatable within the
space. The alternative of a shelf assembly which is not designed
according to the invention but, for instance, has an entirely
symmetric location of the axis of rotation, would be to provide it
with shelves the area and maximum pivot radius of which are
substantially smaller than the area available in the space.
In one embodiment, the front edges of the shelves are straight.
In one embodiment, the space, and the shelf assembly, has a greater
width than its depth. The invention is particularly advantageous
with such proportions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in more detail by way of
non-limiting embodiments and with reference to the accompanying
drawings. Equivalent components in the embodiments have the same
reference numerals.
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a shelf assembly according to
the invention, which shelf assembly is placed in a
refrigerator.
FIGS. 2a and b are exploded views which show details of an
embodiment according to FIG. 1.
FIG. 3a shows a display position and 3b a refill position for an
embodiment of a shelf assembly according to the invention.
FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view from above of an embodiment of a
shelf assembly according to the invention, the shelf assembly being
placed in a cabinet.
FIG. 4b shows details of the embodiment according to FIG. 4a.
FIGS. 5a and b show folded lateral metal sheets and 5c a shelf
attachment which is included in another embodiment of the shelf
assembly according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the shelf assembly
according to the invention. The shelf assembly 100 according to
this embodiment comprises a shelving section 101 and a shelving
section support 110. The shelving section 101 is arranged on the
shelving section support 110, the shelving section 101 being
rotatable about an axis 103. The shelving section 101 has a front
101a and a rear 101b and comprises a number of shelves 102 for
products. The shelves 102 are arranged in the shelving section 101
with such an inclination that gravity feeding of products placed on
the shelf is assisted. During refilling, or when a person removes
products to be purchased such that a vacancy occurs along the front
edge 102a of the shelf, the products automatically slide on the
shelf 102 toward the front edge 102 of the shelf. The shelves 102
can also be provided with sliding surfaces 120, which additionally
assist in gravity feeding of products since the friction between
the product and the base is reduced by means of the sliding
surfaces 120. The sliding surfaces 120 are preferably arranged
along exchangeable sliding tracks or roller tracks.
In FIG. 1, the entire shelf assembly 100 is placed in a limited
space 130, which is a refrigerator 130 with doors 130d. The limited
space 130 may also consist of a cabinet without doors, or of walls,
or consist of other juxtaposed and/or posteriorly situated shelf
assemblies. Also other combinations of shelf assemblies, cabinets
and walls constitute conceivable limited spaces, which are not to
be excluded by the description.
FIGS. 2a and 2b are exploded views which illustrate further details
of the shelf assembly 100. The shelving section 101 comprises, in
addition to the shelves 102, a base plate 207 and an upper part
116, also side walls 214. The base plate 207 has a first engaging
means in the form of a shaft end 208 which engages a second
engaging means arranged on the shelving section support 110 in the
form of a shaft seat 209, the shaft end 208 being rotatable in the
shaft seat 209.
In an alternative embodiment, the shaft end 208 and the shaft seat
209 are arranged in reverse order in such a manner that the shaft
end 208 is placed on the shelving section support 110 while at the
same time the shaft seat 209 is placed on the base plate 207, the
shaft end 208 being rotatably engaged with the shaft seat 209.
Roller means 211, which in this embodiment are wheels 211 mounted
in ball bearings, are arranged on the upper side of the shelving
section support 110. As mentioned above, the wheels 211 can also be
placed on the underside of the base plate 207 of the shelving
section 101. The purpose of the wheels 211 is to use a plurality of
contact points to stabilise the shelving section 101 and reduce the
frictional force during rotation of the shelving section 110. A
non-limiting example of locating the wheels 211 in an advantageous
manner is to arrange them so that they together form substantially
a circle along which the wheels 211 roll during rotation between
the display position and the refill position.
In one embodiment according to the invention, wheels are also
placed on the underside of the shelving section support 101, in
which case the shelf assembly 100 is rollable.
Additional stabilisation of the shelving section 101 is provided by
the upper part 116 of the shelving section 101 being provided with
an extra shaft seat 219 and a support plate 217 which is externally
arranged, connected to the shelving section 101, and provided with
a shaft end 218. The extra shaft end 218 is in the embodiment
engaged with the extra shaft seat 219 and vertically aligned with
the shaft end 208 of the base plate 207 and the shaft seat 209 of
the shelving section support 210 and thus constitutes a second
point for the axis of rotation 103 about which the shelving section
101 is rotated between the display position and the refill
position. The upper support plate 217 is adapted to be attached to
the roof of the cabinet 130. In other embodiments, the support
plate 217 can be attached to surrounding walls or be joined to
support plates of other, neighbouring shelf assemblies.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the shelving section 101 is
rotatably suspended from the upper support plate 217. Suspension is
performed by, for instance, a ball bearing/shaft, the rotation of
the shelving section 101 about the axis of rotation 103 being made
possible with a minimum of rotation resistance. In this embodiment,
the shaft end 208 and the shaft seat 209 have a supporting
function. In addition, roller means 211 can be mounted on, for
instance, the base plate 207 as a support for the shelving section
101.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a shelf assembly
according to the invention. In this second embodiment the shelf
assembly is built in substantially the same way as the first
embodiment described above. The shelf assembly 300 thus comprises a
shelving section 301, with a front 301a and a rear 301b, which
shelving section 301 is placed on a shelving section support and
which comprises shelves 302. The shelf assembly 300 is placed in a
limited space 330, which in this case is a cabinet 330. The shelf
assembly 300 has an upper part which, however, for reasons of
simplification is not shown in the figures.
The shelving section 301 is rotatable about an axis of rotation
303, between a display position according to FIG. 3a and a refill
position according to FIG. 3b. The axis of rotation 303 is
asymmetrically located in relation to the centre of the shelves
302. The distance between the axis of rotation 303 and the rear
edge 302b of the shelves is greater than the distance between the
axis of rotation 303 and the front edge 302a of the shelves. The
axis of rotation 303 coincides with the centre of a geometric
circle 305 whose diameter corresponds to the width of the space 303
and is tangent to the lateral surfaces 330b and the rear boundary
surface 330c of the space. This design results in the rear 301b of
the shelving section in the refill position being further away from
the rear boundary surface 330c than is the front 301a of the
shelving section in the display position. The shelving section 301
is rotatable substantially within the limited space 330.
The shelves 302 are designed based on a substantially rectangular
shape, the rear corners of the shelves 302 being trimmed. By
trimmed is meant that the corners are, for instance, rounded,
arcuate, bevelled or cut off so as to assist the rotatability of
the shelving section 301 in the limited space 330. The front edge
302a of the shelves is straight. The design of the shelves 302,
with trimmed rear corners, a straight front edge 302 and the axis
of rotation 303 which as described above is asymmetrically located,
is adapted to maximise the area of the shelves 302 within a
boundary line which is defined by the geometric circle 305 and the
doors 330d of the cabinet. The pivot radius 304 of the shelves 302
corresponds substantially to the radius of the geometric circle
305. In the display position, the entire shelves 302 are located in
the cabinet 330. In the refill position, the rear 301b of the
shelving section protrudes, and thus also the rear edges 302b of
the shelves protrude, from the front edge 330a of the cabinet 330,
which allows smooth access for supply of products also at the
trimmed rear corners of the shelves 302.
In this second embodiment, the shelves 302 are divided into product
channels 306. The product channels 306 are advantageous in gravity
feeding of products since they support the products and allow the
products to be displayed in a favourable manner. Also in this
embodiment, the base of the product channels 306, or alternatively
the entire upper sides of the shelves 302, can be provided with
sliding surfaces 320 which assist gravity feeding of products.
A further advantage of gravity feeding as described above is that
the centre of gravity of the shelving section 301 in the refill
position is automatically moved toward the front edge 302a of the
shelves, thus reducing the risk of the shelf assembly 300 tilting
and falling out of the cabinet 330.
A third embodiment of a shelf assembly 400 according to the
invention is shown in FIG. 4. The shelf assembly 400 is placed in a
cabinet 430. The shelf assembly 400 comprises a shelving section
401 with a front 401a and a rear 401b, which shelving section 401
comprises shelves 402 which are designed in the same way as the
previously described shelves 102 or 302, a base plate 407 and a
shelving section support 410. The shelving section 401 is rotatable
about an axis 403 which extends through the shaft end 408 which is
arranged on the base plate 407 and is engaged with a shaft seat 409
arranged on the shelving section support 410. The shaft seat 409 is
formed as an elongate groove, see FIG. 4b, and therefore the shaft
end 408 is movable. As a result, the axis of rotation 403, about
which the shelving section 401 is rotatable, is movable.
Moreover, in this embodiment, an upper portion of the shaft end 408
is provided with a gear wheel 412. The teeth of the gear wheel 412
run in a gear rack 413 arranged on the shelving section support
410. On rotation of the shelving section 401 between the display
position and the refill position, the teeth of the gear wheel 412
engage the gear rack 413, the respective gear rack positions of the
gear wheel 412 corresponding to a predetermined movement of the
axis of rotation 403, that is the position of the shaft end 408 in
the shaft seat 409, in depth. In this embodiment, with the gear
rack 413 arranged according to FIG. 4, the shelving section 401 is
limited to be rotated counter-clockwise (seen from above) on
rotation from the display position to the refill position.
Correspondingly, the shelf assembly 401 is limited to clockwise
rotation from the refill position back to the display position.
The pivot radius 404 of the shelving section 401 describes a circle
405 which in the lateral direction substantially coincides with the
width of the space 430, but which in depth substantially falls
outside the depth of the limited space 430. As described above, the
axis of rotation 403 is movable along the extent of the shaft seat
409, and therefore the shelving section 401 is rotatable to the
refill position by simultaneous movement of the position of the
axis of rotation 403 in depth, towards the front edge 430a of the
cabinet, the circle 405 being moved in the same direction and
rotation of the shelving section 401 being made possible. In the
refill position, the rear edge 401b of the shelving section is
located a distance in front of the front edge 430a of the cabinet.
Correspondingly, the shelving section 401 is rotatable from the
refill position back to the display position with a reverse
direction of rotation and movement of the shaft end 408 toward the
rear boundary surface 430c of the limited space. The rear 401b of
the shelving section is, in the refill position, further away from
said rear boundary surface 430c than is the front 401a of the
shelving section in the display position. The shelving section 401
is rotatable substantially within the limited space 430.
As shown in more detail in FIGS. 5a-5b, all embodiments of the
shelf assembly advantageously have side walls 512 which are
provided with bends 514. The bends 514 are rotation- and
deflection-resistant and designed so that each side wall 512 is
given a V-shaped or alternatively .SIGMA.-shaped bend along the
longitudinal extent, thereby reinforcing the side walls 512. This
significantly increases the stability of the shelf assembly 500,
but involves additional advantages since the bends 514 also allow a
simplified, optimal spacing of a plurality of shelf assemblies 500
side by side, see FIG. 5b, since the bends allow space for rotation
of neighbouring shelf assemblies.
Recesses 516 are formed in the lateral plates 512 to attach shelves
502 by shelf attachments 515, as shown in FIG. 5c. This results in
a flexible embodiment, in which the number of shelves 502 and their
location can easily be adjusted as required.
* * * * *